Adjustable footwear sole construction

Abstract

A sole construction includes a cushion insert that is installable in the sole at different orientations to vary the support / cushioning characteristics of the sole. The sole construction may include a midsole defining a receptacle configured to receive the cushion insert in different orientations. The sole may be inserted into low-profile footwear having an outsole with a receptacle for retaining a corresponding differentiated heel portion of the sole. The sole may be included in a shoe construction having an outsole portion capable of bending or pivoting to provide access to the cushion insert for adjustment thereof. The sole may be included in a shoe construction having an outsole that defines an opening, through which the cushion insert may be accessed and manipulated. The cushion insert may include at least one channel that varies in depth about the insert so that different regions of the insert provide different support / cushioning characteristics.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 939,383, filed May 22, 2007, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 855,622, filed Sep. 14, 2007, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to footwear soles and more particularly to adjustable footwear sole constructions.[0003]The design and manufacture of footwear is complicated by the fact that different people have different footwear needs. For example, some individuals prefer a firmer, more unyielding sole while others prefer a softer, more cushioning sole. With some people this is simply an aesthetic desire, but for others it can result from physical factors, such as those associated with foot shape, skeletal alignment and other anatomical issues. Anatomical issues cause some individuals to suffer from a tendency to pronate (roll their ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013]In another embodiment, the sole is incorporated into a shoe construction having an outsole adapted to receive and support the sole. The outsole defines an opening, through which the cushion insert may be accessed and manipulated to vary the orientation of the insert to provide different support / cushioning characteristics. In this embodiment, the outsole may include a sidewall defining openings that provide access to the cushion insert. The cushion insert may be provided with contours that facilitate adjustment of the cushion insert while it remains in place within the sole.

[0014]The present invention provides a simple and effective construction that allows a sole to be easily adapted to match the needs of different wearers. In those embodiments that include a disk-shaped cushion insert, the sole can be adjusted simply by rotating the cushion insert within the receptacle. For example, simple rotation of the cushioning insert can permit the sole to be adjusted between regular or firm support, or to address pronation or supination. Because the sole may be adjusted by varying the orientation of a single cushion insert, it is not necessary to supply a wearer with a collection of different inserts that may increase cost and could become lost or misplaced. Further, the wearer is not required to save and store unused adjustable inserts to allow for possible future adjustments. A pair of shoes incorporating cushioning inserts with 8 different orientations in each shoe provides the wearer with 64 different adjustment combinations. An embodiment with a differentiated heel facilitates use of the invention in loafers and other low profile footwear because it permits the cushion insert to be contained within space often occupied by the outsole. Adjustment of the cushion insert may be facilitated in those embodiments in which the cushion insert is accessible through manipulation (e.g. bending or pivoting) of the outsole. In those embodiments in which variation in the cushion insert is achieved through variable depth channels, the upper surface of the cushion insert may remain planar. This can provide the cushion insert with infinite adjustability because, unlike embodiments that incorporate undulations in the cushion insert, it is not desirable to align contours in the cushion insert and the mating sole component. Further, the use of a planar mating surface on the cushion insert may ease manufacture of the interfacing sole components and make the cushion insert more universal. Additionally, in those embodiments in which the cushion insert is accessible through openings in the surrounding sole component(s) (e.g. outsole), adjustment of the cushion insert may be simplified as the cushion insert can be adjusted while the article of footwear is on the wearer's foot and without manipulating any portion of the outsole or other sole components.

Problems solved by technology

The design and manufacture of footwear is complicated by the fact that different people have different footwear needs.

With some people this is simply an aesthetic desire, but for others it can result from physical factors, such as those associated with foot shape, skeletal alignment and other anatomical issues.

Anatomical issues cause some individuals to suffer from a tendency to pronate (roll their feet inward when striding) and others to have the opposite tendency to supinate (roll their feet outward when striding).

This can increase cost of manufacture and assembly.

Additionally, the number of adjustment settings is a function of the number of inserts supplied with the shoe, which has led to relatively limited adjustability in sole constructions of this type.

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